This invention relates to an openable roof and to a structure incorporating this openable roof.
Openable roofs are highly desirable as they provide sunlight, fresh air, and a sense of freedom when open, while protecting the interior from adverse weather when closed. To this end, various types of openable roofs were previously proposed and developed.
In the operation of the prior art roof, the roof may, for example, simply be moved laterally from the position above the interior area.
FIG. 1 depicts a conventional openable roof comprising a fixed roof member 40 and a movable roof member 42. The movable roof mmeber 42 can slide to a retracted position over the movable member 40, exposing the interior area 44 to the outer environment; or the movable roof member 42 can be extended to protect the interior area 44 from the outer environment.
Another type of conventional openable roof is constituted so as to be pleated like an accordion when retracted.
With the above types of openable roofs, the desired protection from, or opening to, the outer environment can be achieved, however, the following problems exist:
1. If the movable roof member is simply moved laterally, space is required to store the movable roof member on the outside of the building, which results in a waste of space. Furthermore, corresponding points of support of the movable roof member must be moved in synchrony, especially for a roof spanning a great distance.
2. If the construction shown in FIG. 1 is used, the movable roof member 42 can move to a position above the fixed roof member 40 so that space for storing the movable roof member 42 outside the building is not necessary. However, fixed roof member 40 must be reinforced to have enormous rigidity in order to support the movable roof member 42. Furthermore, since the movable roof member 42 is of a cantilever type, it must be reinforced to have enormous rigidity in order to support itself. Therefore, the costs of construction are increased.
3. If the accordionlike openable roof is used, additional space for storing the roof outside the building is not neccessary. However, it is still necessary to provide a storage area, and the like, for containing the folded roof inside or outside the building. In addition, the driving mechanism for moving the movable roof member must be of complicated design to accommodate the roof configuration.
4. The roofs of the prior art cannot be dome-shaped; they must be, for example, of flat shapes when the roofs are closed above the interior areas. Therefore, the possible designs of the roof are limited.